Written piece
Thread of my Grandmother
Sayra Bibi
Pakistan
About this piece
My submission reflects my grandmother’s life and wisdom, showing how her sewing thread became a symbol of resilience, love, and belonging that continues to shape my identity and values.
Thread of My Grandmother
My grandmother made clothes under the soft glow of the sun that fell on her through the small window. Every thread that she used told a story – stories of struggle, loss, and aspirations. The language she used while sewing sounded like her prayers.
As a child, I saw her mend the torn clothes and not discard them because according to her, they too had value. Only many years after did I understand that my grandmother taught me something more than just mending.
Whenever I feel burdened by life now, I see the steady hands of my grandmother sewing clothes, drinking chai, humming songs of the past, and spinning tales between silences.
I carry the thread of my grandmother in everything from the language I speak to my memories of her to the gentleness that I wish to pass on to other people. Her wisdom has been passed down to me by virtue of this line of continuity.
That is my thread of belonging.